The Cost of Clutter

We all assume that being disorganized costs us money and time. But how much of an impact does it really have? 

Let’s consider the Jones family.  Their garage is too full for both family cars so one car stays in the driveway.  They rent a storage unit to store items that don’t fit in the house.  They lose track of household items and end up re-buying because they can’t find what they need.  They pay late fees on bills they forgot about and have lost track of their digital subscriptions.  They throw away lots of wasted food.  The parents estimate they spend about an hour each day looking for things and managing their “stuff.”  I put some numbers to these facts (see details below.)

The yearly cost of disorganization and clutter for the Jones family is over $20,000 a year!*

Wow.

You might say you don’t have time to get organized, but I would argue you can’t afford not to get organized!  Maybe you are not as disorganized as the Joneses, but it's likely that you struggle with some of these things.

A professional organizer can help you reset.  More importantly, we can teach you strategies and systems to STAY organized so you can sustain things.  You will spend less time searching for things, cleaning things, and stressing about your things, and more time with your hobbies, your family and friends.  And you will save money!

* Assumptions for cost of clutter estimate. 

This is a very rough estimate.  It doesn’t account for clutter’s secondary effects on health, stress, and life satisfaction, which may be even more valuable.

Item	Yearly cost
Storage unit rental (5x10 foot)	$800
Subscription services not being used (1)	$250
Repurchasing items already owned	$500
Late fees	$200
Wasted food (2)	$1,600
Lost time (at $50/hour) (3)	$18,250
TOTAL	$21,650

Notes

1.        Orentas, Geraldine, Streaming trends for 2024:44% report streaming costs increasing over the last year, Forbes.com, https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/internet/streaming-survey/#:~:text=People%20are%20spending%20an%20average,through%20friends%20or%20family%20accounts, Accessed 26 May 2024.

2.        N.A., Food waste in America, 2024, rts.com,

https://www.rts.com/resources/guides/food-waste-america/ , Accessed 26 May 2024

3.        You might argue that you can’t turn this time into money. But think of how lost time affects your productivity. If you are late to work, inefficient, and unprepared, you’re less likely to get a raise or a promotion. You also may take longer to get work done, leaving less free time for other things.  And for some jobs time is money. If you clock in five minutes late, you don’t get paid for those five minutes.